The Helmsman's Logs 2371
by L.E. Jones1
Summary: The first in a collection of Tom Paris' personal logs during Voyager's first year in the Delta Quadrant.


TITLE: THE HELMSMAN'S LOGS - 2371  
  
AUTHOR: L.E. Jones  
  
CODE: Paris, Crew, P/f  
  
RATING: [PG-13]   
  
SUMMARY: The first in a collection of Tom Paris' personal logs  
  
during Voyager's seven years in the Delta Quadrant. Part 1  
  
focuses upon the ship's first year, 2371.  
  
FEEDBACK: lee66132000@yahoo.com - I would appreciate constructive  
  
feedback. Thank you.  
  
DISCLAIMER: Tom Paris and all other characters related to Star  
  
Trek Voyager belong to Paramount, Viacom, Rick Berman, the  
  
Roddenberry family and other Trek producers.   
  
AUTHOR'S NOTES: I had recently read J.A. Toner's marvelous  
  
"Log Entries", a collection of B'Elanna Torres' personal logs  
  
from Season 1 to mid-Season 5. For a while, I had hoped she  
  
would write a similar story from Tom Paris' viewpoint, but, so  
  
far, it has not happened. In the end, I decided to take on  
  
that task myself. This story is a collection of Tom's logs  
  
during Voyager's years in the DQ.  
  
Also, Season 2 episodes like "Projection", "Twisted", "Elogium"  
  
and "The 37s" were originally supposed to air in Season 1,  
  
after "Learning Curve". Therefore, the incidents featured in  
  
those episodes will be covered in Part One.  
  
"THE HELMSMAN'S LOGS" by L.E. Jones   
  
PART ONE - 2371:  
  
STARDATE 48316.7 - I'm back on a Starfleet vessel. I can't  
  
believe it! If only Dad could see me now. I can imagine how  
  
he would feel. Then again, maybe not. I never understood Owen  
  
Paris. Nor has he ever understood me. I have met the person  
  
whom Dad could relate to. And probably did. Captain Kathryn  
  
Janeway of the Federation starship, VOYAGER.  
  
Gods, I'm regressing. I better start from the beginning. It  
  
all began two days ago. I was serving my eighteen month  
  
sentence at the Federation Penal Settlement in New Zealand -  
  
otherwise known as Club Fed, repairing a ? generator, when a  
  
throaty voice called out my name. I looked up and there stood  
  
this red-haired goddess in a Starfleet uniform. Maybe goddess  
  
isn't the right word. The good Captain is what one would  
  
describe as diminutive in height. But despite that, she did  
  
have presence.  
  
To make a long story short, Captain Janeway asked me to help  
  
search for a particular Maquis ship that had disappeared in the  
  
Badlands. It seemed her security chief was part of the crew -  
  
as a Starfleet spy. And guess who commanded this particular  
  
crew? My old 'buddy', Chakotay. I can imagine that bastard's  
  
reaction, when learns that I helped Starfleet hunt down his  
  
precious ship. Did I say when? That's right. Despite the  
  
fact that helping Janeway locate her missing officer seemed  
  
like a hopeless task, I decided to accept her offer. And why  
  
not? I certainly have no loyalty toward Chakotay and his  
  
bunch. Hell, they made my life miserable during my few weeks  
  
in the Maquis. And Janeway has offered to add a word or two to  
  
my next parole review. Who could resist that?  
  
So, here I am, aboard VOYAGER. I must say that she seemed like  
  
one hell of a ship. Gods, I would give my right leg to set at  
  
the helm. But it would never happen. Caldik Prime and my stint  
  
in the Maquis made sure of that.  
  
Speaking of Caldik Prime, it seems to have follow me here to  
  
Voyager. The ship's doctor brought it up the moment I  
  
introduced myself to him. He had been the chief medical  
  
officer at the base on Caldik Prime, at the time. The First  
  
Officer didn't say a word. At least not with Janeway looking  
  
on. But that sneer on his face and his hesitation to shake my  
  
hand, said a thousand words.  
  
If it weren't for Harry, this damn trip would have been a bust.  
  
Ensign Harry Kim. They don't make Starfleet ensigns greener  
  
than him. I had to save him from a Ferengi barkeep on Deep  
  
Space Nine, bent on cheating him out of a few latinum. A few  
  
years on a Starfleet vessel should rid him of that naivety.  
  
And I'm sure that once Cavit or Dr. Fitzgerald tell him about  
  
the real Tom Paris, he'll wise up to me. Damn! Harry is one  
  
of the few people on this ship I really like. Just as well.  
  
I won't be around very long. End personal log.  
  
STARDATE 48324.61 - A lot has happened in the past few days.  
  
Hell, I don't know where to begin. VOYAGER got flung 70,000  
  
light years into the Delta Quadrant by some entity on an array  
  
station. This little journey cost the ship several key  
  
officers - including Cavit, Fitzgerald, the chief engineer and  
  
the lovely Lieutenant Stadi. What a shame about Stadi. I  
  
rather liked her.  
  
The crew was beamed to the array, disguised as some Midwestern  
  
farm. Some holographic beauty punched me. We also found the  
  
Maquis crew in a state of unconsciousness. And we ended up in  
  
the same position for three days, while the entity poked and  
  
prodded us. Even worse, I had a 'pleasant' little reunion  
  
with Chakotay on the Bridge. The poor bastard was surprised to  
  
learn that his Vulcan weapons man turned out to be a Starfleet  
  
spy. And embarrassed when Janeway prevented him from beating  
  
the tar out of me. I would have enjoyed his embarrassment  
  
even further, if it wasn't for Harry's disappearance.  
  
It seems that the being on the array had failed to return a  
  
Maquis engineer and poor Harry to their respective ships.  
  
Which has made me worried. About Harry, I mean. He was the  
  
first person I could truly call a friend. Even after Cavit and  
  
Fitzgerald told him about the three people I killed at Caldik  
  
Prime, and how I got cashiered, he still wanted to remain my  
  
friend. What did he say? "I prefer to choose my own  
  
friends." Gods, what a friend! And now, he's missing. I only  
  
hope that Captain Janeway can get him back before something  
  
happens to him. End personal log.  
  
STARDATE 48327.97 - It looks as if VOYAGER is stranded in the  
  
Delta Quadrant. For good. I don't mind. Ever since the ship  
  
got lost, life has . . . well, it has turned out for the  
  
better.  
  
I don't have to return to prison. We found Harry, along with  
  
the Maquis engineer, on some planet a few light years away from  
  
the array. I saved Chakotay's butt in the Ocampan tunnels and  
  
earned myself a bodyguard. I'll need one now that the Maquis  
  
has joined the crew, after Chakotay destroyed their ship during  
  
a battle with a warlike race called the Kazon. The crew has  
  
also acquired a couple of hitchhikers - a funny-looking joker  
  
named Neelix. He's a Talaxian. Our other hitchhiker is an  
  
Ocampan woman named Kes, whom we had saved from the Kazon.  
  
She's very beautiful.   
  
Best of all, Captain Janeway has given me a field commission  
  
with the rank of lieutenant . . . along with the Conn Division.  
  
Which means that I am now VOYAGER's chief pilot. Isn't life  
  
grand? I only hope that I can make up to Janeway for all she  
  
has done for me. End personal log.  
  
STARDATE 48339.17 - Life aboard VOYAGER isn't bad. Well . . .  
  
not that bad. I have to keep an eye out for the Maquis  
  
crewmen. Just in case they decide to use me as a punching bag  
  
for helping Janeway track them to the Badlands. I suspect that  
  
a good number of the Starfleeters might want to do the same.  
  
There is the Conn Division. On one hand, being head of the  
  
division entitles me the position of chief pilot. So far, none  
  
of them have been openly hostile - except for Henley, the lone  
  
Maquis. And yet, they seemed reluctant to seriously pay  
  
attention to the training I have devised for the division.   
  
I'm trying to be thrilled about my new position as VOYAGER's  
  
chief helmsman, but it's damn difficult to command a group of  
  
people who consider me a criminal that deserves to spend the  
  
next 70 years in the brig. How do you lead people like that?  
  
It finally came to a head when I tried to give them a pep talk  
  
about learning new piloting maneuvers. "We're Starfleet  
  
pilots," Jon Hamilton had said. "Which means that we were  
  
trained at the Academy, just like you. At least none of us had  
  
killed anyone in a shuttle crash. And later lied about it."  
  
For that remark, I assigned Hamilton to the Beta shift for the  
  
next two weeks. Hey, I never claimed to be saint. Vindictive,  
  
yes. But not a saint. After my little disciplinary action  
  
with Hamilton, the other pilots have ceased questioning my  
  
piloting skills.  
  
Chakotay certainly doesn't make life easy. Now that he is  
  
VOYAGER's First Officer, he seems more interested in acting as  
  
my tormentor, instead of bodyguard. If I'm two or three  
  
minutes late on the Bridge, he doesn't hesitate to point it out  
  
in front of everyone. Even worse, I've been summoned on  
  
several occasions, regarding tardiness and Starfleet  
  
procedures. Mind you, this is coming from a man who once  
  
dropped out of Starfleet to join a terrorist group.  
  
At least I have Harry's friendship. I don't know how long that  
  
will last. Especially, since he has become friends with that  
  
half-Klingon he was trapped on the Ocampan homeworld with. Her  
  
name is B'Elanna Torres and she works in Engineering. I never  
  
met her during my stint in the Maquis. I had only been with  
  
Chakotay's cell for a few weeks before my capture, and she was  
  
on a top-secret mission, at the time. I must admit that I find  
  
her very beautiful, although somewhat temperamental. She has  
  
made it clear that like her fellow Maquis, she dislikes me.  
  
Not that I care. I'm not exactly fond of her. I don't mind  
  
her bad temper, but I find her self-righteousness a little hard  
  
to take. A taint she has obviously picked up from Chakotay,  
  
while they were both in the Maquis. I only hope that she  
  
doesn't come between Harry and me. End personal log.  
  
STARDATE 48443.01 - Nothing much happened recently. VOYAGER  
  
got trapped into an event horizon. Which brought on the sticky  
  
subject of temporal mechanics. Gods, I hate dealing with that!  
  
It was one of my worst subjects in the Academy. One good  
  
thing came out of it. The pilots under me wanted to know how I  
  
flew VOYAGER out of that horizon. Even Hamilton. To be  
  
honest, I did nothing spectacular. Especially since Janeway  
  
ordered me to use the ship like a battering ram for our escape.  
  
The event horizon brought about another change. Joe Carey is  
  
no longer VOYAGER's Chief Engineer. B'Elanna Torres, Harry's  
  
half-Klingon friend, has become the new chief. Despite  
  
breaking Carey's nose in three different places. If that's how  
  
one can become chief engineer, how does one become the first  
  
officer? Or the captain? Chakotay must be thrilled that his  
  
little protégée has joined the senior staff.   
  
One last little tidbit that hasn't exactly made my day.  
  
Because of a course in biochemistry I took at Starfeet, I am  
  
now the new medical assistant and have to work with that  
  
holographic egomaniac in Sick Bay. Sometimes I think the gods  
  
must hate me. End personal log.  
  
STARDATE 48533.7 - Gods, it's been one hell of a day! VOYAGER  
  
came across a new race called the Vidiians, while searching for  
  
a supply of dilithium.  
  
These Vidiians are a race, who have been inflicted by some  
  
deadly virus called the phage, for the past millinium or two.  
  
To keep their race alive, the Vidiians have engaged in  
  
stealing organs from other humanoids. Ugh! While on an Away  
  
mission with Harry and Chakotay, Neelix had his lungs stolen by  
  
two Vidiians.  
  
If one ever thought that doctors made lousy patients, try  
  
dealing with an annoying Talaxian. I would have removed those  
  
holographic lungs the Doc had created for Neelix, just for a  
  
little peace and quiet, if it weren't for Kes. She seemed very  
  
concerned about Neelix and I had to assure her that he would  
  
make it through this crisis. I just don't get it! What does  
  
Kes see in a guy like Neelix, anyway? Gratitude for saving her  
  
from the Kazon? Fortunately, VOYAGER managed to capture the  
  
two Vidiians and one of them turned out to be a physician. He  
  
found a way to alter a donated lung to match Neelix's  
  
physiology. Guess who turned out to be the donator? That's  
  
right, Kes. Sigh!  
  
Speaking of doctors, our own chief medical officer is turning  
  
out to be a real pain in the ass. I could understand the  
  
little lecture about holographic matter and so forth. But did  
  
the bastard have to slap my face to prove his point? If you  
  
ask me, the man is a sadist. Maybe I can find a way to change  
  
his personality subroutines. I've always been pretty good at  
  
holoprogramming. There is one thing to be thankful. Kes has  
  
just become the new medical assistant. Which means I won't  
  
have to hang around Sickbay - unless necessary.  
  
Oh, I forgot. Neelix has converted the Captain's private  
  
dining room into the galley. And now, VOYAGER has a genuine  
  
mess hall. Now that we have a cook, the crew can save  
  
replicator energy. I don't know about the rest of them, but I  
  
think I'll stick with replicated food. End personal log.  
  
STARDATE 48549.92 - How can I put this in a nutshell? VOYAGER  
  
explored a nebula, still in search for a supply of dilithium.  
  
The nebula turned out to be a living organism that we damaged  
  
during our little exploration trip. With a little fancy flying  
  
from me, along with the Doctor and Torres' expertise, we  
  
managed to repair the damage to the nebu . . . uh, the life  
  
form. Of course, all of this resulted in VOYAGER being  
  
drained another 20% of energy.  
  
Anything else? Oh yes. Neelix decided to entertain the Bridge  
  
crew with a few selections of Talaxian hors d'erves. Which I  
  
declined - naturally. I also discovered that Harry remembers  
  
being inside his mother's womb. What a shame there isn't a  
  
ship's counselor on board. I think Harry could really use  
  
one.  
  
I also introduced Harry to my new holoprogram - a recreation of  
  
one of my favorite spots in the universe, Sandrine's. It's a  
  
tavern I used to frequent, when I spent my second year in the  
  
Academy at a Starfleet base in Marsailles, France. This  
  
prompted Harry to remark that I miss Earth. Hell, if Earth  
  
only consisted of Sandrine's, I would. By the way, I believe  
  
that Sandrine, herself, has developed a little interest in my  
  
good buddy.  
  
After our encounter with the nebula/life form, the rest of the  
  
crew decided to try out my program. Including the Captain, who  
  
turned out to be quite the pool hustler. If only Starfleet  
  
knew. The only person who seems to dislike Sandrine's was  
  
Lieutenant Torres. One of my characters, Gaunt Gary, tried to  
  
proposition her. She, in turn, called us both pigs. You know,  
  
I'm beginning to suspect that Torres really lacks a sense of  
  
humor. If the Captain could tolerate a few innuendos with good  
  
grace, why couldn't she? End personal log.  
  
STARDATE 48558.22 - Ran into Kes in the Mess Hall, this  
  
evening. Since Neelix was busy preparing dinner for the crew,  
  
I decided to offer her a little company. I learned a lot about  
  
Kes. About her parents, her childhood on the Ocampan  
  
homeworld, and her captivity by the Kazons. We spent so much  
  
time talking about her that we barely touched on my background.  
  
Which suited me just fine. Besides, with a certain Talaxian  
  
cook giving us the evil eye every now and then, we decided to  
  
end our little conversation. What the hell is wrong with  
  
Neelix, anyway? Did he honestly think I would steal Kes from  
  
him? Or ravage her? Hell, the worst anyone could accuse me of  
  
is introducing Kes to my favorite drink - spinach juice, with a  
  
touch of pear. End personal log.  
  
STARDATE 48579.93 - We came so close to returning to the Alpha  
  
Quadrant. Too close, if you ask me. Thank goodness for bad  
  
luck.  
  
Harry had discovered a wormhole that might lead back home.  
  
Although I joked about the Federation (science institute)  
  
naming the wormhole after him, inside I was filled with dread.  
  
Home? Who wanted to go there? As far as I'm concerned,  
  
VOYAGER is home. In the end, we discovered that the wormhole  
  
was too small for the ship to travel through. The Captain  
  
ordered Lieutenant Tuvok to launch a probe through the  
  
wormhole, anyway. I suspect that she had hoped to make contact  
  
with Starfleet. The probe got stuck in some eddy, thanks to  
  
some phase variance. But we managed to eventually make  
  
contact with a Romulan. Fortunately, this Romulan refused to  
  
talk and cut off communication. But that didn't deter my good  
  
buddy, Harry. While the rest of us slept, he decided to  
  
continue attempts to re-establish contact with the Romulan.   
  
Gods! What does he hope to accomplish? End personal log.  
  
STARDATE 48582.31 - The wormhole turned out to be a bust and  
  
boy, I am relieved! Hell, a return to the Alpha Quadrant would  
  
mean only one thing for me - a reunion with my fellow convicts  
  
at the Federation Penal Settlement in New Zealand. And that's  
  
a fate I would like to avoid, thank you very much.  
  
For a while, it seemed that the Alpha Quadrant awaited us. Not  
  
only did Captain Janeway managed to re-establish contact with  
  
the Romulan, Torres found a way to transport both objects and  
  
people through the wormhole. Our Romulan contact, a scientist  
  
on a top secret science vessel, became the first humanoid to be  
  
transported through a wormhole, from one quadrant to another.  
  
Then fortune finally stepped in when Tuvok discovered that the  
  
phase variance caused us so much trouble, because the wormhole  
  
not only lead to the Alpha Quadrant, but also twenty years in  
  
the past. Also, our Romulan visitor will not live long enough  
  
to send our messages to the Federation. I realize that the  
  
others are upset, but as far as I'm concerned - all's well that  
  
ends well. End personal log.  
  
STARDATE 48588.21 - It's been difficult containing my glee over  
  
our failed attempt with the wormhole. I must be the only  
  
person aboard VOYAGER - aside from Neelix and Kes - who isn't  
  
disappointed. Although I suspect that our Delta Quadrant  
  
natives are disappointed on behalf of the crew..  
  
Harry has been in a funk, over the past two days. I tried to  
  
cheer him up with a trip to Sandrine's. Instead, he accused me  
  
of being glad over the whole debacle. How could I deny the  
  
truth? Right now, he's in Torres' quarters and both are  
  
probably weeping together over lost opportunities. Do  
  
Klingons weep? I have to look that up.  
  
I can understand why Harry, the Captain and other 'Fleeters are  
  
upset. But why are the Maquis? Don't they realize that a  
  
return to the Alpha Quadrant meant a few years in prison for  
  
them? They sure as hell can't return to fighting Cardassians.  
  
After all, they're now officially Starfleet prisoners.  
  
At the moment, Kes is the only person I can talk to. While  
  
helping her in the Hydropondics Bay, I explained my feelings  
  
about the wormhole to her. She seemed to understand. Gods!  
  
What a relief to find someone I can be honest with. End  
  
personal log.  
  
STARDATE 48604.37 - How could I have been so stupid? What the  
  
hell was I thinking?  
  
Once again, I've gone ahead of myself. This is what happened.  
  
VOYAGER encountered a race called the Baneans. They offered  
  
to help repair VOYAGER's busted ?. The Captain ordered Harry  
  
to the Banean homeworld, to confer with their top scientist on  
  
the repairs. And since they were at war with another race  
  
called the Numeri, guess who had to fly Harry to Banea? That's  
  
right! Me.  
  
Gods! If only Captain Janeway had sent another pilot. If only  
  
Doctor Ren had been married to an older and less attractive  
  
woman. Hell! If only I had listened to Harry and Liddell, I  
  
would not be in this mess! Liddell Ren. The moment I laid  
  
eyes upon her, I fell in deep lust. Very beautiful and  
  
obviously very bored with her marriage. And since I was bored  
  
listening to Harry and the Doctor discuss engineering, I  
  
decided to focus my attention on the gorgeous mistress of the  
  
house.  
  
Poor Doctor Ren ended up murdered - stabbed in the heart. The  
  
Baneans accused me of the deed, claiming that the good doctor's  
  
memory engrams clearly showed that I was guilty. Only, I don't  
  
remember stabbing the man. Nor do I remember kissing Liddell  
  
in the Arterium. Unfortunately, the Baneans didn't believe  
  
me, thanks to those memory engrams. And now, they have  
  
convicted me of murder and punished me by grafting Doctor Ren's  
  
engrams with my own. Every fourteen hours, I have to relive  
  
the memory of the murder through his eyes. Something is not  
  
right. The murder couldn't have happened like this!  
  
Fortunately, the Captain and Tuvok arrived on Banea to  
  
investigate and return me to VOYAGER. I only hope they can get  
  
me out of this mess. End personal log.  
  
STARDATE 48607.42 - Thank goodness for Tuvok! If it weren't  
  
for him, I would have spent the rest of my life, reliving false  
  
memories of Doctor Ren's murder, every 14 hours. Considering  
  
how those engrams were frying my neural pathways, I would not  
  
have lived very long.  
  
Tuvok discovered that I was being used as a courier between the  
  
Numeri, and Doctor ? and Liddell, who were both traitors and  
  
spies for the former. Great! Just what I always wanted to be.  
  
As for Doctor Ren's memories - it turned out that Doctor ?  
  
planted altered memories onto my neural pathways.  
  
Harry told me that he would never do what I did. Fool around  
  
with the wrong woman. But he will. One day. And I told him  
  
so. Okay, maybe Harry's comments did irk me a bit. But I was  
  
serious when I told him that one day, he could meet the wrong  
  
woman. It happens to a lot of guys. Including straight  
  
arrows like Harry.  
  
I found Lieutenant Tuvok in the Mess Hall and thanked him for  
  
clearing me of murder. In his usual Vulcan fashion, he claimed  
  
that he would have otherwise if I had been guilty. But I  
  
thanked him, anyway. Maybe for being himself, for once.   
  
Ohters would have naturally assumed the worst and not bother to  
  
investigate the matter. Tuvok had approached the case in his  
  
usual objective manner, thank goodness. As for the rest of the  
  
crew - well, they had all assumed I was guilty, until Tuvok  
  
proved otherwise. With the exception of the Captain, Harry,  
  
the Doctor and Kes. Thank goodness for friends. And the  
  
Doctor. End personal log.  
  
STARDATE 48635.01 - Will miracles cease to exist? I don't  
  
think so. Especially after I was approached by one of the  
  
Delaney sisters for a favor. It seems that Jenny has developed  
  
an interest in a certain Operations chief and would like me to  
  
arrange a date. Knowing Harry's devotion to a certain  
  
fiancée, 70,000 light years away, I realize it would be  
  
difficult to arrange this date. I've already tried it once and  
  
it didn't work. Maybe I can try bribery. Or blackmail. Hmmm,  
  
then again, Ensign Eager isn't the type to succumb to bribery.  
  
And he hasn't done anything worth blackmailing over. Oh  
  
well. Maybe I'll just pester him to death. End personal log.  
  
STARDATE 48638.27 - What do you know? Pestering him to death,  
  
actually worked! In the end, I finally got that double date I  
  
wanted earlier. Harry, Jenny, Megan and I had the date in  
  
Holodeck One, enjoying the charms of Venice. Well, Megan and I  
  
were able to enjoy Venice. I can't say the same for Harry and  
  
Jenny. They went for a ride in a gondola and in her enthusiasm  
  
to seduce Harry, poor Jenny overexerted herself and both ended  
  
up in the Grand Canal - heads first. Gods! If I didn't feel  
  
sorry for Harry, I would have laughed. (Pauses) Okay, I did  
  
laugh. But only after Megan laughed first. Her laughter can  
  
be very contagious. So full of life. As for Harry and Jenny -  
  
I have a feeling they won't be dating for quite a while. End  
  
personal log.  
  
STARDATE 48643.26 - The whole ship knows about the date with  
  
Delaney sisters. Heck, even Torres and Seska were discussing  
  
it, while the former oogled the ship's Marble Model. I'm  
  
referring to, of course, Ensign Murphy. Actually, there are  
  
two Ensign Murphys. The other Murphy serves under Tuvok in  
  
Security, while the Marble Model is in the Science Division. I  
  
wonder what Torres sees in a man who resembles a Starfleet  
  
recruitment poster, anyway?  
  
At least I'm no longer on the Maquis' shit list. Harry and I  
  
actually managed to enjoy a conversation with Seska and Torres.  
  
Our little camaraderie didn't last very long. Chakotay  
  
summoned the Senior officers to the Bridge. It seemed Voyager  
  
came across a ship emitting a distress signal. The ship is  
  
from a nearby planet called Sikaris. And its inhabitants have  
  
invited the crew to spend a few days there, and partake in its  
  
pleasures. Sounds interesting. End personal log.  
  
STARDATE 48643.38 - Ah, Sikaris! I must say it was a beautiful  
  
planet with riches and food, galore for enjoyment. Many of the  
  
women seemed very attractive. Unfortunately, my enjoyment of  
  
the planet was nearly spoiled by my best friend.  
  
After befriending a Sikarian woman named Endana, Harry  
  
discovered that the Sikarians possessed some kind of trajector  
  
that permitted folded-space transport. This trajector could  
  
shorten Voyager's return to the Alpha Quadrant by 40,000 light  
  
years.  
  
I could only imagine Janeway's reaction when she heard the  
  
news. Excited. Relieved. To be honest, I didn't feel the  
  
same. The further Voyager remained from Earth, the better for  
  
me. Thanks to Harry's discovery of the trajector, the Alpha  
  
Quadrant had loomed pretty close. Too close. Thankfully, the  
  
Sikarians had a canon of laws similar to the Federation's Prime  
  
Directive. Their laws prevented them from introducing their  
  
technology to other cultures. You know, I usually have a dim  
  
view of the Prime Directive. I mean, what's the point of  
  
non-interference in an alien culture, when Starfleet is suppose  
  
to be about exploration? You can't explore unknown worlds  
  
without some kind of interference or influence - however  
  
unintentional. The Captain plans to approach the Sikarian  
  
government about making Voyager an exception to their rule. I  
  
hate to say this, but I hope she fails. End personal log.  
  
STARDATE 48648.68 - What a goddamn mess! Who would have  
  
thought a visit to a pleasure-seeking planet would end with  
  
Voyager being nearly destroyed by a warp core breach? And its  
  
Security Chief and Chief Engineer ending in deep shit with the  
  
Captain? Frankly, I'm just glad I'm not the one who messed  
  
up.  
  
The Sikarian Council had rejected Janeway's request for Voyager  
  
to use their trajector technology. Thank goodness! She had no  
  
choice but to abide by their decision. But it didn't end  
  
there. Harry's friend, Endana, introduced him to a Sikarian  
  
man named Jaret Otel, who was willing to break his world's law  
  
by trading the trajector technology for a library of Federation  
  
literature. Harry, Seska, Torres and I discussed it. I more  
  
or less told the others that they were wasting their time. The  
  
Captain might consider Otel's offer, but in the end, she would  
  
never go against Federation principles.  
  
Of course, I was right. But Janeway's decision did not stop  
  
Tuvok and Torres from making the exchange with Otel. And when  
  
Voyager finally left orbit, the trajector proved to be  
  
incompatible with Federation technology and nearly caused a  
  
warp core breach. I learned from Harry that Seska and Joe  
  
Carey were also involved in this scheme, but only Tuvok and  
  
Torres got chewed out. If she had done worse, Voyager would  
  
have ended up with Rollins or Pete Durst as Security Chief.  
  
And Sue Nicoletti as Chief Engineer. I'm just glad that damn  
  
trajector never worked. End personal log.  
  
STARDATE 48662.6 - Will the Universe ever cease to amaze me?  
  
It certainly didn't, today. Who would have thought? Seska, a  
  
Cardassian! Not only was she a Cardassian, but an agent of the  
  
Obsidian Order, assigned to infiltrate the Maquis! What can I  
  
say? I'm shocked. (Pauses) Then again, knowing Seska's  
  
character, maybe not.  
  
Thanks to encounter with a damaged Kazon-Nistrim ship, we  
  
learned that someone aboard Voyager had been trading Federation  
  
technology to the Kazon in exchange for their protection.  
  
Suspects came down to two people - Seska and Joe Carey. Not  
  
surprisingly, most of the 'Fleeters suspected Seska and the  
  
Maquis, Carey. My choice was Seska. When I told Harry, both  
  
Torres and Ayala overheard me. "Starfleet to the end, right  
  
Paris?" Torres had said with her usual sneer.  
  
I had told her that my Starfleet background had nothing to do  
  
with my opinion. "I don't know Carey that well," I said, "but  
  
I know Seska. I don't trust her within an inch of my life.  
  
She has the brains and imagination to pull something like  
  
this. And you all know how she feels about Federation  
  
principles." To everyone's surprise, Ayala agreed. It seemed  
  
he never really trusted Seska, either.  
  
After Seska's escape to another Kazon ship, most of the Maquis  
  
walked around, either in a daze or looking humiliated.  
  
Especially Chakotay. He was, after all, Seska's loudest  
  
defender and former lover. Poor Chakotay. He was always a  
  
lousy judge of character. End personal log.  
  
STARDATE 48671.28 - Just came back from a date with Megan  
  
Delaney. Alone, this time. We had an intimate little dinner  
  
at a romantic restaurant on Gerdi Prime, inside Holodeck Two.  
  
After supper, we enjoyed a walk along the beach, followed by a  
  
nightcap inside my quarters.  
  
Ah, Megan! Such a nice, calm person, in compare to her sister,  
  
Jenny. There were times when she almost reminds me of . . .  
  
Shit! What the hell is wrong with me? I just enjoyed a  
  
pleasant night with a beautiful and intelligent woman and all I  
  
can think about is our cook's girlfriend. Kes. Gods, will I  
  
ever stop thinking about her? Or better yet, will she ever  
  
dump Neelix? End personal log.  
  
STARDATE 48695.34 - I nearly lost Harry, today. While enjoying  
  
his Beowulf holonovel, Harry was captured by a photonic being  
  
that had been accidentally brought aboard the ship, while we  
  
were gathering energy from a photostar. The being took refuge  
  
in Harry's Beowulf program and later captured him. It also  
  
captured Tuvok and Chakotay, after they were sent to  
  
investigate Harry's disappearance. In the end, the Captain  
  
sent the Doctor to rescue our missing officers. Thankfully,  
  
the Doc succeeded and received a special commendation for his  
  
troubles. Now, if only the Captain could order Torres to do  
  
something about his personality subroutines. End personal log.  
  
STARDATE 48733.51 - Voyager had a strange encounter with  
  
something out of one of those old "B" movies that I usually  
  
enjoy. While investigating some dark nebula, Tuvok and  
  
Chakotay's shuttle was attacked. Tuvok only sustained minor  
  
injuries, wihle the good Commander ended up brain dead. His  
  
bio-neural energy had been removed from him.  
  
It turned out worse than we thought. Some trianic energy being  
  
had possessed Tuvok, in an attempt to convince the Captain to  
  
investigate this dark nebula matter. The being belonged to a  
  
race called the Komar, who wanted the crew's bio-neural energy  
  
as substance for his people. Meanwhile, another entity began  
  
invading the minds of other crewmen - including mine - in an  
  
attempt to prevent Voyager from entering that nebula. This  
  
second entity turned out to be Chakotay's bio-neural energy,  
  
displaced by the Komar's attack. Just great! My brain nearly  
  
became food for a bunch of non-corporeal beings and was twice  
  
possessed by the Great Spirit Chief, himself. Oh well, at  
  
least we managed to escape the nebula and the Komar. End  
  
personal log.  
  
STARDATE 48736.53 - This afternoon, Neelix had decided to hold  
  
a little celebration in honor of Chakotay's recovery and our  
  
near escape from the Komar. Jesus, this guy would just about  
  
hold a party for anything. Not that I mind. The more parties,  
  
the better. I suspect that this was Neelix's way of  
  
celebrating Kes's recovery from an attack by the  
  
Komar-possessed Tuvok. Hmmm. Certainly not a bad reason to  
  
celebrate, in my book.  
  
Captain Janeway and the Maquis seemed to be the only ones  
  
really celebrating. I guess they need something to celebrate  
  
after Seska's humiliating revelation. Well, most of the Maquis  
  
seemed happy. I noticed B'Elanna Torres, sitting by herself  
  
and shooting jealous looks at the very chummy Captain Janeway  
  
and Chakotay. Gods! Is that little infatuation of hers,  
  
still going on? Doesn't she realize that Chakotay is not her  
  
type? Too bad Harry is still mooning over his lost love,  
  
Libby. Quite frankly, he would make a better choice for  
  
Torres. Of course, I don't exactly relish sharing Harry's time  
  
with her. (Beep beep) That must be Megan. I forgot that she  
  
was coming by for drinks, tonight. End personal log.  
  
STARDATE 48766.73 - Not much happened today. Voyager  
  
investigated a Class J nebula - one of many we have encountered  
  
since our arrival in the Delta Quadrant. The only interesting  
  
thing that happened was a minor conversation with Kes in the  
  
Mess Hall. We discussed some our favorite foods. One of hers  
  
happens to be something called Lokar beans. I told her about  
  
tomato soup (something those damn replicators haven't got  
  
right) and peanut butter-and-jelly sandwiches. My ultimate  
  
comfort food. By then, even Neelix got into the conversation.  
  
I don't know if this was his way of keeping an eye on Kes and  
  
me, or merely just genuine interest. At least we managed to  
  
exchange a few words without any hostility or suspicion from  
  
him. End personal log.  
  
STARDATE 48777.42 - Another dull day in the Delta Quadrant. I  
  
guess every day can't be an exciting encounter with a new  
  
species. Voyager stumbled into the Avery system. It seemed to  
  
consist of several Class M planets. The Captain, in one of her  
  
bouts of "science exploration", decided she wanted an  
  
investigation of magnacite formations on some of the planets.  
  
I was assigned to explore the planet, Avery III with Pete Durst  
  
and B'Elanna Torres. Voyager should rendezvous with us in two  
  
days. I guess it won't be that bad. Pete's okay. He was one  
  
of the few crewmen who had been friendly toward me from the  
  
beginning. And as for Torres - well, have managed to strike  
  
up a cordial relationship in the last five or six weeks. Hell,  
  
it's a lot better than spending two days with Chakotay or  
  
Neelix. End personal log.  
  
STARDATE 48790.33 - Gods! I simply don't know where to begin!  
  
I feel as if I had taken part in some bizarre horror vid from  
  
the 20th century. Sigh! Might as well get it over with.  
  
While investigating magnacite formations on Avery III with  
  
Durst and Torres, we were captured by Vidiians. That's right.  
  
The same species who had stolen Neelix's lungs, three months  
  
ago. These Vidiians didn't simply steal our organs. They  
  
forced Pete and myself to become part of their slave labor. I  
  
had no idea what happened to B'Elanna. Until the following  
  
day. It seemed some Vidiian doctor named Sulan had extracted  
  
her Klingon DNA, leaving her completely Human. How gruesome!  
  
I still remember the shock of seeing B'Elanna completely Human  
  
for the first time. Oddly enough, I was too surprised by the  
  
change to notice her looks. I must admit that she looked  
  
beautiful. But then, I've always thought she made a beautiful  
  
Klingon/Human hybrid. Not only had her looks changed, but her  
  
personality, as well. Gone was the tough and temperamental  
  
woman and in her place, an emotional and sad woman, driven by  
  
fear. I guess the trauma of her situation drove her to be a  
  
little more open about her past. She told me about her  
  
childhood on Kessik IV and how she blamed her Klingon side for  
  
driving her father away. She has not seen him in nearly twenty  
  
years. If that's true, the man is an idiot. (Pauses) I think  
  
I'm getting a little personal, here. Anyway, I tried to  
  
comfort her with a little revelation of my own. I told her  
  
about the haircuts Dad used to enforce upon me, at the  
  
beginning of every summer. I don't think it worked. Then  
  
again . . . she did smile a little.  
  
Then everything went from bad to worse. The Vidiian guards  
  
took Pete Durst away. That was the last time I saw him. I  
  
tried to prevent the guards from taking him, but they didn't  
  
want me. Can't blame them, I guess. Who would? I later  
  
found out that they didn't want Pete to send a message to  
  
Voyager. Instead, that monster, Dr. Sulan had Pete's face  
  
grafted upon his. The guards came back for B'Elanna, leaving  
  
me feel even more useless. God only know how long I would have  
  
remained part of the slave labor force, if Chakotay hadn't  
  
shown up, disguised as a Vidiian. Too bad we couldn't take  
  
the Talaxian with us, but the guards were even reluctant to let  
  
me go. We found two B'Elannas being confronted by Dr. Sulan,  
  
with Pete's face plastered to his skin. I don't know what  
  
shocked me more - seeing both a Klingon and a Human B'Elanna at  
  
the same time, Dr. Sulan, or witnessing Klingon B'Elanna's  
  
death after she saved her counterpart's life. Too bad she  
  
died. I would have liked to know her. End personal log.  
  
STARDATE 48791.56 - I still can't help thinking about that Away  
  
mission on Avery III. To me, it's a reminder of my failure as  
  
a Starfleet officer. I can't help but wonder what I could have  
  
done to avoid capture or save Pete. I had a dream about it,  
  
several hours ago. At one point, Human B'Elanna's face  
  
transformed into the dying Klingon B'Elanna's, and eventually  
  
into Dr. Sulan, with Pete's face. I woke up in a sweat, after  
  
that. Unable to sleep, I decided to head for Sick Bay to pay  
  
B'Elanna a visit. She still looked Human. Unfortunately,  
  
Chakotay was also there and they seemed to be sharing a tender  
  
moment I didn't want to interrupt. Oh well. Maybe I can read  
  
myself to sleep. End personal log.  
  
STARDATE 48799.76 - I finally spoke with B'Elanna. She came to  
  
my table, while I was eating a late dinner in the Mess Hall,  
  
last night. We were the only ones there. She looked normal.  
  
Her Klingon traits had returned, ridges and all. B'Elanna  
  
told me what happened to her on Avery III. Apparently, Dr.  
  
Sulan had used a genetron to remove her Klingon DNA, creating  
  
two B'Elannas in the process - one Klingon and one Human. He  
  
fell in love with the Klingon Human and used Pete's face to woo  
  
her. He must have been a sick man. Sulan also needed a  
  
full-blooded Klingon to test his theory that Klingon physiology  
  
was resistant to their phage. As it turned out, he was right.  
  
B'Elanna told me that after her Klingon couterpart's death, she  
  
had assumed she would remain completely Human. I guess the Doc  
  
ruined that dream when he informed her that he needed to  
  
restore her original genetic structure, using Klingon  
  
B'Elanna's DNA. She seemed disappointed that she would never  
  
be completely Human. I'm not. Although I found both her Human  
  
and Klingon selves to be beautiful, she seems more interesting  
  
as a hybrid. I even told her so. My little remark managed to  
  
produce a small smile, but I could tell that she didn't draw  
  
much comfort from it. I hope that one day, she will learn to  
  
appreciate her true self. She can really be fascinating. Now,  
  
if only I can learn to do the same about myself. Hmmm, fat  
  
chance of that ever happening.   
  
Anyway, B'Elanna thanked me for supporting her during our  
  
captivity. We also discussed Pete Durst, whose face is now  
  
grafted upon that mad bastard's own face. When I asked if she  
  
would like to accompany me to Sandrine's, she declined.  
  
B'Elanna told me that she needed more rest. Oh well. At  
  
least we've finally buried the hatchet between us and can  
  
finally become good friends. I guess that's one thing I can be  
  
grateful about Avery III. End personal log.  
  
STARDATE 48804.91 - Gods, I'm exhausted! Not a surprise, since  
  
I had my sleep interrupted by a call from the Bridge. Crewman  
  
Henley failed to show up for Gamma shift. Again. This is the  
  
third time in two months. I had to give her a personal  
  
reprimand the last two times. Last night, I personally roused  
  
Henley from bed and ordered her to report to the Bridge. Or  
  
consider herself on report. After a fifteen minute debate,  
  
which ended with me threatening her with the Brig, she  
  
complied. I really don't know what to do with her. I can't  
  
threaten her with the Brig, forever. I also realize that she  
  
resents being stuck on a Starfleet vessel, thousands of light  
  
years away from home. But one day, she will have to realize  
  
that she has very little options. End personal log.  
  
STARDATE 48837.63 - Voyager stopped at an M-class called  
  
Napinne. Pleasant little place. And the inhabitants were also  
  
pleasant. Harry, B'Elanna and myself visited the surface for a  
  
few hours, while the Captain, Neelix and Chakotay set about  
  
obtaining food supplies. With the fruits and vegetables now  
  
growing in the Hydropondics Bay, hopefully Voyager won't be so  
  
dependent upon food supplies from other planets, stations and  
  
ships in the near future. End personal log.  
  
STARDATE 48840.42 - Once more, Crewman Henley failed to appear  
  
for her duty shift. This time, I put her on report. Not long  
  
after I finished Alpha shift, today, Chakotay requested my  
  
presence in his office. To discuss Henley, unsurprisingly.   
  
He wanted me to reconsider my decision to put Henley on report.  
  
Give her a chance to fit in with the crew. Then he bored me  
  
with some speech about   
  
Starfleet officers learning how to lead subordinates.  
  
Something that already bored me to tears during Command  
  
school. The big hypocrite! I can't believe this is the same  
  
man who has given me nothing but grief since we first laid eyes  
  
upon each other. Hell, I've been giving Henley a chance for  
  
six months! At least until now. Like it or not, both she and  
  
Chakotay were going to have to live with that reprimand on her  
  
record. Being an ex-Maquis, I doubt that Henley even cared.  
  
End personal log.  
  
STARDATE 48845.9 - After Tuvok's encounter with Ken Dalby, the  
  
Captain has ordered Henley, Dalby and a few others to undergo  
  
basic Starfleet training, under Tuvok. Poor bastards!  
  
Meanwhile, various ship malfunctions have plagued the crew,  
  
since leaving Napinne. Something to do with the bio-gel  
  
packs. End personal log.  
  
STARDATE 48854.3 - Life aboard Voyager has returned to normal,  
  
thank goodness. No more malfunctions for the time being. The  
  
Captain ordered the ship's systems to overheat, in order to  
  
kill the virus that had infected the gel packs. Gods, the  
  
Bridge almost felt like a furnace. For a while, I wondered if  
  
I would ever be able to breathe again. All thanks to that damn  
  
cheese Neelix had purchased during our stay on Napinne.   
  
Henley and the others are still undergoing their field  
  
training. Must be working, since Henley has reported for duty  
  
without any problems. She also requested additional training  
  
in shuttle maneuvers in the holodeck. We'll probably never be  
  
friends, but thank goodness I no longer have a troublemaker on  
  
my hands. End personal log.  
  
STARDATE 48892.4 - Harry told me an unusual tale. The Doctor's  
  
programming and the holodeck systems had malfunctioned, thanks  
  
to the kino-plastic radiation from a anomaly that Voyager came  
  
across. While stuck in one of the holodecks for six hours, the  
  
Doctor believed he was a real person named Lewis Zimmerman and  
  
that Voyager and the crew were all a holographic simulation.   
  
He even thought Kes was his wife. Sigh! I knew it. I've  
  
always suspected that the Doc had eyes for our favorite  
  
Ocampan. And this only proves it. Kes is quickly becoming  
  
quite the little heartbreaker on this ship. She has already  
  
captured mine. End personal log.  
  
STARDATE 48921.4 - Gods, this has certainly been a day to  
  
remember! I've just spent hours at the Helm, dodging a swarm  
  
of . . . hell, I don't what they were! Some kind of life forms  
  
that resembled a . . . Okay, they resembled human sperm.   
  
There! I said it. I only Starfleet Command never get a hold  
  
of this log. Although the creatures resembled sperm, they had  
  
mistaken Voyager as some kind of sexual mate. Even worse, they  
  
began draining energy from the ship's systems, in their attempt  
  
to procreate. More problems appeared when a large creature  
  
appeared also began to regard Voyager as a mate. Jeez! I  
  
didn't realize the ship looked that desirable! Both Torres and  
  
Tuvok wanted to destroy the creature, but Chakoay suggested  
  
that Voyager mimic the smaller ones, giving the impression to  
  
the large creature that we have no interest in procreation with  
  
space born creatures. Ha! Sex in the Delta Quadrant!  
  
Speaking of sex, the Captain made a joke to the Commander about  
  
referring to expertise whenever the subject of procreation  
  
appears. It wasn't the joke that caught my attention, but the  
  
way she said. I do believe our captain was flirting. The look  
  
on B'Elanna's face was certainly memorable. She seemed  
  
completely shocked. When I brought up the topic in the Mess  
  
Hall, she gave me a death glare that rivaled the mighty Janeway  
  
herself. I see that she still has that crush on Chakotay.  
  
Gods, when will it ever end?  
  
Then again, who am I to complain? I still have feelings for  
  
Kes. In my case, I can say that it's more than a crush.  
  
Before our encounter with the swarm, I helped her gather  
  
Oblissian cabbages from the Hydropondics Bay. On our way to  
  
the turbolift, we encountered Chakotay, along with Ensigns  
  
Bennett and Gallagher. It seems the good Commander caught  
  
them "fraternizing" in the turbolift. Hmm, maybe the Captain  
  
was right about him being the right man to solicit advice about  
  
procreation. End personal log.  
  
STARDATE 48925.38 - Plenty of surprises awaited me, when I  
  
found Kes in the Hydropondics Bay, following my shift. First  
  
surprise - Ensign Sam Wildman from the Science Division is  
  
pregnant. It seems that Ensign Wildman, who happened to be a  
  
very nice lady, left behind a Ktarian husband on Deep Space  
  
Nine. Considering how flat her stomach looked, my first guess  
  
was that she sought solace in the arms of a crewman, here on  
  
board Voyager. After all, Voyager has been in the Delta  
  
Quadrant for over seven months, now. But according to Kes, the  
  
embroyo is definitely half-Ktarian. Hmm, maybe Ktarians have  
  
a longer gestation period.  
  
The other surprise? Kes informed me that the electrophoretic  
  
activity from the swarm, yesterday, had sped up her elogium.  
  
Namely, the sexual maturation for Ocampan females. They  
  
usually go through this phase between the ages of four and  
  
five. And since this elogium would have been Kes' only shot  
  
at conception, she asked Neelix to mate with her.  
  
Neelix and Kes as parents. Now there's an image that  
  
makes me shudder! At first, Neelix felt reluctant. Hell, if I  
  
had known, I would have offered Kes my services. However,  
  
Neelix eventually agreed to mate with her, but she changed her  
  
mind, after realizing that she was not ready for parenthood.   
  
Kes' elogium ended when Voyager left the swarm behind. I  
  
thought she had lost her chance at motherhood and was prepared  
  
to console her. But Kes assured me that her elogium was false  
  
and the real phase will probably return after her fourth  
  
birthday. I only hope she and Neelix are no longer a twosome  
  
by then. I realize it's a rotten thing to say, but I can't  
  
help feeling they're wrong for each other. End personal log.  
  
STARDATE 48946 - Gods, I must really be pathetic! While  
  
playing pool with Harry and B'Elanna in Sandrine's, last night,  
  
I spotted Kes and Neelix cuddling around a corner table, happy  
  
as pie. Depressing sight. In typical Tom fashion, I decided  
  
to hide my disappointment by flirting with nearly every female  
  
in sight. Except with B'Elanna, of course. One doesn't  
  
flirt with a close friend. I guess the old Paris charm must  
  
have worked. Later that night, I ended up in bed with Yoshi  
  
Kyoto. After I "subtly" sneaked out of bed this morning, Yoshi  
  
caught me. She assured me that she wasn't looking for a  
  
permanent relationship. I'm relieved . . . but now, I also  
  
feel like a complete shit. End personal log.  
  
STARDATE 48964.07 - Today was Kes' birthday. Sigh! Kes'  
  
birthday. Huh. All I can say is that it certainly didn't turn  
  
out the way I had expected. Not long after we surprised her  
  
with a party inside Sandrine's, Voyager encountered a  
  
distortion ring that transformed the ship into a labyrinth.   
  
First, the Captain, Chakotay and I got lost, while searching  
  
for the Bridge. We ended back inside Holodeck One. Later,  
  
Torres and I used the turbolift to reach Engineering. To my  
  
surprise, we were fortunate. Thanks to the distortion ship,  
  
B'Elanna almost walked in on Crewman Nozawa, inside his  
  
quarters, dressed only in his skivvies. Let's just say it the  
  
first time I ever saw a Klingon woman blush. A sight, I  
  
suspect, I'll never see again.  
  
The distortion ring proved to be the third or fourth  
  
noncorporeal life form we've encountered since our arrival in  
  
the Delta Quadrant. And all it wanted to do was greet us and  
  
exchange information. Hell of a way to say hello. Both  
  
B'Elanna and Chakotay nearly came to blows with Tuvok on how to  
  
stop the distortion ring. In the end, Tuvok had the best  
  
suggestion. Do nothing.  
  
Kes' birthday party turned out to be a disappointment. I have  
  
her a gold filigree locket as a present. She seemed stunned by  
  
it - much to my delight. That delight didn't last. After our  
  
encounter with the distortion ring, the party eventually  
  
resumed. Kes, who had been worried by Neelix's disappearance,  
  
declared that she wanted a photo of him, inside her locket.  
  
Great! Just great! A photo of Neelix's mug will be inside  
  
the locket I gave her. Even worse, I had to stand there on the  
  
Bridge and hold Kes' birthday cake, while she and Neelix locked  
  
lips.  
  
Sigh! I'm beginning to think that my feelings for Kes are just  
  
as hopeless as B'Elanna's feelings toward Chakotay. But I  
  
can't help it. All I can do is hope that she realizes one day  
  
that Neelix is not the man for her. End personal log.  
  
STARDATE 48972.4 - Voyager came across an old 1936 Chevy truck,  
  
here in the Delta Quadrant! Being a connoisseur of anything  
  
20th century Earth, my heart nearly leapt with excitement at  
  
the sight of that old vehicle. I even got a chance to  
  
demonstrate how the truck's engine worked, once Harry tractor  
  
it to Voyager. I don't think he, the Captain and the others  
  
appreciated the noise or the carbon monoxide.  
  
The truck also emitted an old S-O-S signal that led us to an  
  
L-Class planet not far away. The trinimbic interference in the  
  
planet's upper atmosphere made the shuttles and the  
  
transporters, ineffective. So, the Captain ordered me to land  
  
Voyager on the planet's surface. All I can say that it was  
  
one of the most thrilling moments in my life. And I did it  
  
without a hitch.  
  
The Captain, Harry and members of the Away team not only found  
  
a Lockheed Electra aircraft (which I would have loved to get my  
  
hands on), but several Humans in cryostasis. Kes and I later  
  
joined the Captain and Harry for a closer inspection. Would  
  
you believe it? Among the Humans were the legendary pilot,  
  
Amelia Earhart and her navigator, Fred Noonan. It seemed she,  
  
Noonan and the other Humans had been abducted from Earth by  
  
aliens over 400 years ago, during the late 1930s. Voyager has  
  
discovered the mystery of Earhart's disappearance. If only  
  
the Alpha Quadrant knew. Noonan proved to be a paranoid who  
  
managed to hold us hostage. The Captain eventually convinced  
  
him and Miss Earhart that we meant them no harm. Also, a group  
  
of aliens had fired upon Tuvok, Chakotay and another Away team.  
  
Harry told me that after the Captain disarmed them, she  
  
discovered that they were also Humans. Boy! Things really  
  
seemed to be heating up! End personal log.  
  
STARDATE 48974.55 - I did it. I decided to remain aboard  
  
Voyager and continue the journey to the Alpha Quadrant. I'm  
  
probably the only crewman, who has a good reason to remain on  
  
New Earth. Well, it's not really called New Earth, but that's  
  
what most of the crew has decided to name the planet.  
  
It seemed the planet's original inhabitants, a race called the  
  
Briori, were the ones responsible for abducting Amelia Earhart,  
  
Noonan and 289 other Humans from Earth. They brought the  
  
Humans to this planet to serve as slave labor. However, the  
  
slaves revolted, killed the Briori and established a new  
  
civilization. Hence, New Earth. I even managed to visit one  
  
of the cities. Gods, it really surprised me on how it closely  
  
resembled San Francisco. Maybe that's the reason I decided not  
  
to remain behind. It simply reminded me too much of Earth.   
  
Too much of the bad times I had endured. But I must admit that  
  
Kes' decision to remain aboard Voyager played a part in my  
  
decision. Along with the feeling that I could not abandon the  
  
Captain. Not after all she has done for me.  
  
I also got a chance to show Miss Earhart, Voyager's helm. I  
  
don't know about her, but I got a big thrill. Miss Earhart,  
  
Mr. Noonan and the other "37s" (the original ones abducted),  
  
decided to remain on New Earth. I wish them all the luck in  
  
the world. Meanwhile, not one member of the crew decided to  
  
remain behind. Hmmm. I thought at least the Maquis crewmen  
  
would consider. I guess not. End personal log.  
  
STARDATE 48999.17 - New Year's Eve. Huh. I can't remember the  
  
last time I celebrated the New Year. Oh yeah, it happened two  
  
years ago and I was at this casino on Perdon Gel. With that .  
  
. . Gods, what was her name? Damn! I don't even remember.  
  
Anyway, the Captain gave us permission to celebrate the arrival  
  
of 2372 at Sandrine's. Neelix has even volunteered to create a  
  
few delicacies to entertain the crew. In defense of our  
  
stomachs, the Conn Division pooled their replicator rations to  
  
provide refreshments not cooked by Neelix. I'm sure the crew  
  
will thank us. Meanwhile, I have to shower and change for the  
  
party. I'm suppose to take Marie Kaplan and I'm already  
  
running late. If I don't return until tomorrow, Happy New  
  
Year! End personal log.  
  
END OF PART 1 


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